Apparatus and method for antenna matching in mobile device

• US 8,644,779 B2
• Filed: 05/11/2011
• Issued: 02/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Inventors: Shin, Yong Joo, Lee, Jae Ho, Ryu, Wan Sang, Kim, Da Jeong, Yun, Ji Yeon, Jung, Jin Woo
• Primary Examiner(s): TRINH, TAN H
• Application Number:
  US13/105,174
• Publication Number:
  US 20110281532A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,000 Days
• Field of Search: 455/550.1, 455/121, 455/115.1, 455/120, 455/77, 455/419, 455/466, 455/426.1, 455/553.1, 455/193.1, 455/556.1, 455/114.2, 455/119, 455/125, 455/123, 455/129, 455/68, 455/83, 455/107, 455/340, 455/150.1, 455/178.1, 455/187.1, 455/191.1, 343/861, 333/17.3, 333/32, 375/219, 375/295, 375/316
• US Class Current: 455/125
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0458 Arrangements for matching and coupling between power amplifier and antenna or between amplifying stages matching circuits in general H03H

Abstract

An apparatus and a method of realizing an antenna matching in accordance with a user'"'"'s body effect and a state of a mobile device are provided. The method includes determining a state of the mobile device on a basis of a call mode and at least one of whether an external device is connected to the mobile device, whether a receiver is being used, whether a speaker is being used, and whether a proximity sensor is activated, determining an optimal Tunable Matching Network (TMN) circuit adjustment value in accordance with the determined state, and performing the antenna matching in accordance with the optimal TMN circuit adjustment value.

Claims

1. A method for an antenna matching in a mobile device, the method comprising:

retrieving a lookup table from the mobile device;

determining a state of the mobile device;

determining an optimal Tunable Matching Network (TMN) circuit adjustment value in accordance with the determined state of the mobile device based on the retrieved lookup table; and

performing antenna matching in accordance with the optimal TMN circuit adjustment value,

wherein the lookup table includes a plurality of groups, each group classifying all channels of each band of each service network into a respective group.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining of the state of the mobile device includes determining one of a Hand state, a Head &

Hand state, and a Free state on a basis of a call mode and at least one of whether an external device is connected, whether a receiver is being used, whether a speaker is being used, and whether a detecting signal is received from a proximity sensor,

wherein the Hand state comprises the mobile device being located at a user'"'"'s hand while in the call mode,

wherein the Head &

Hand state comprises the mobile device being held in the user'"'"'s hand and located near the user'"'"'s head while in the call mode, and

wherein the Free state comprises the mobile device being in an idle mode.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the state of the mobile device further includes a Universal Serial Bus (USB) Optimization state comprising the external device being connected to a USB connector while in the call mode.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the determining of the state of the mobile device includes:

if the mobile device is in the idle mode, determining that the state of the mobile device is the Free state;

if the external device is connected to the USB connector while in the call mode, determining that the state of the mobile device is the USB Optimization state;

if the external device is not connected to the USB connector while in the call mode and if a signal is not input from the proximity sensor, determining that the state of the mobile device is the Hand state; and

if the external device is not connected to the USB connector while in the call mode and if a signal is input from the proximity sensor, determining that the state of the mobile device is the Head &

Hand state.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the determining of the state of the mobile device further includes:

if a signal for state determination is input in a test mode, determining that the state of the mobile device is a specific state, in accordance with the signal, among the Hand state, the Head &

Hand state, the Free state, and the USB Optimization state.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the determining of the state of the mobile device includes:

if the mobile device is in the idle mode, determining that the state of the mobile device is the Free state;

if the mobile device is in the call mode and if the receiver is being used, determining that the state of the mobile device is the Head &

Hand state; and

if the mobile device is in the call mode and if the speaker is being used, determining that the state of the mobile device is the Hand state.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the antenna matching is performed at a specific time except a time conflicting with an uplink transmission time, a downlink reception time, or a reception monitoring execution time in the call mode.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the determined state comprises at least one of a band being used by the mobile device, a channel of the band, call mode, a slide status of the mobile device, a position of the mobile device, whether an external device is connected to the mobile device, whether a receiver is being used and whether a speaker is being used.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining of the optimal Tunable Matching Network (TMN) circuit adjustment value comprises searching a service network, determining a band and channel that are used by the mobile device in the service network and determining the optimal Tunable Matching Network (TMN) circuit adjustment value in accordance with the determined band and channel.

10. An apparatus for antenna matching in a mobile device, the apparatus comprising:

a memory unit storing a lookup table;

a control unit for determining a state of the mobile device, and for determining an optimal Tunable Matching Network (TMN) circuit adjustment value in accordance with the determined state of the mobile device based on the lookup table; and

a TMN unit for receiving the optimal TMN circuit adjustment value from the control unit and for performing the antenna matching in accordance with the received value,

wherein the lookup table includes a plurality of groups, each group classifying all channels of each band of each service network into a respective group.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the determining of the state of the mobile device includes determining one of a Hand state, a Head &

Hand state, and a Free state on a basis of a call mode and at least one of whether an external device is connected, whether a receiver is being used, whether a speaker is being used, and whether a detecting signal is received from a proximity sensor,

wherein the Hand state comprises the mobile device being located at a user'"'"'s hand while in the call mode,

wherein the Head &

Hand state comprises the mobile device being held in the user'"'"'s hand and located near the user'"'"'s head while in the call mode, and

wherein the Free state comprises the mobile device being in an idle mode.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the state of the mobile device further includes a Universal Serial Bus (USB) Optimization state comprising the external device being connected to a USB connector while in the call mode.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the control unit is further configured to:

if the mobile device is in the idle mode, determine that the state of the mobile device is the Free state;

if the external device is connected to the USB connector while in the call mode, determine that the state of the mobile device is the USB Optimization state;

if the external device is not connected to the USB connector while in the call mode and if a signal is not inputted from the proximity sensor, determine that the state of the mobile device is the Hand state; and

if the external device is not connected to the USB connector while in the call mode and if a signal is inputted from the proximity sensor, determine that the state of the mobile device is the Head &

Hand state.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the control unit is further configured to:

if a signal for state determination is input while in a test mode, determine that the state of the mobile device is a specific state, in accordance with the signal, among the Hand state, the Head &

Hand state, the Free state, and the USB Optimization state.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the control unit is further configured to:

if the mobile device is in the idle mode, determine that the state of the mobile device is the Free state;

if the mobile device is in the call mode and if the receiver is being used, determine that the state of the mobile device is the Head &

Hand state; and

if the mobile device is in the call mode and if the speaker is being used, determine that the state of the mobile device is the Hand state.

16. An apparatus for antenna matching in a mobile device, the apparatus comprising:

a connector for connecting an external device;

a proximity sensor for detecting an approach of a foreign object;

a control unit for retrieving a lookup table and for determining a state of the mobile device on a basis of a signal received from the connector, a signal received from the proximity sensor, and a call mode, and for determining an optimal Tunable Matching Network (TMN) circuit adjustment value in accordance with the determined state of the mobile device based on the retrieved lookup table; and

a TMN unit for receiving the optimal TMN circuit adjustment value from the control unit and for performing the antenna matching in accordance with the received value,

wherein the lookup table includes a plurality of groups, each group classifying all channels of each band of each service network into a respective group.